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A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor, a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

Graduate commission discusses 'citizen scholars'

By Susan Trulove

Spectrum Volume 17 Issue 08 - October 13, 1994

Should non-degree students be allowed to enroll in individual courses at
Virginia Tech? The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies began to discuss
that possibility at last Wednesday's meeting.

Commission chair Joe Merola said Virginia Tech has no mechanism to allow an
individual citizen to take an individual course. Larry French, interim director
at the Northern Virginia Graduate Center, said the center had just turned away
four executives from the World Bank who wanted to take a technology-transfer
course.

Ed Bunce wondered "Why have we denied it all this time." Ron Johnson
responded, "In business, we have accreditation concerns. People whose
credentials are not reviewed sitting in our courses detracts from our
accreditation."

John Eaton said UVa does require enrollees to have bachelor's degrees. Then
admission is allowed based on space and the faculty member's approval.

Bruce Chaloux added that courses taken in this manner at UVa don't count
toward a degree, should the individual enroll later. "It would be my hope that
if you take a Virginia Tech course, it counts toward a degree." Also, he said,
"If our graduates return for additional courses, I'd like to say, `If you were
good enough to get in before and got a degree, you're good enough to take
additional courses.'"

In response to a question about why someone who doesn't want a degree wants to
take a course for credit, Chaloux explained that some companies reimburse
employees a percentage of the cost for a course based on their grade. If they
are auditing a course, there is no grade.

Merola said, "Taking courses and doing well does not assure admission to a
degree program."

The discussion will continue at the next meeting.

On a somewhat related topic, Chaloux, associate dean of the Graduate School
with specific responsibility for expanding for-credit, graduate
distance-education programing, discussed extended-campus graduate programs.
"I'm excited about the potential for expanding our activities away from
Blacksburg, and not just at existing centers," he said. Funding would come from
tuition income above a baseline reflecting the last three years, he said.

"The initial challenge is to educate the campus community regarding the
importance of this activity," Chaloux said. Part-time students are only 20
percent of the enrollees at Virginia Tech, which is out of step with the
national trend, he said.

"We need to extend programs to meet demand. For example, Marriott Corp. has
asked that the hospitality program be offered in Northern Virginia." He said
new programs are also part of the initiative.

Chaloux assured the commission members, "We want to be sure that whatever we
do there is not a question regarding the quality of students. Good faculty
members will teach good courses....We will work with the commission regarding
policy and to `fast-track' initiatives."

"What are the rewards going to be for what initially appears to be more work?"
Dean Stauffer asked.

"It is going to get more difficult to recruit good graduate students, and many
are going to want programs away from Blacksburg," Chaloux explained.

Eaton added, "We've been told not to expect more funds for graduate students,
so the only way to fund graduate students is through research, or attract
students who can afford to pay their own way."

Chaloux said that university researchers have not taken full advantage of the
research lab capability of corporations and governments in the D.C.
metropolitan area. He invited people to visit the Northern Virginia Graduate
Center. "It is a thriving mini-campus."

Merola reported that the University Advisory Council for Strategic Budgeting
and Planning will take a resolution to the Board of Visitors in November that
the College of Education restructuring go forward, but the plan will be changed
to exclude privatization of adult and continuing education. However, the
program will be slated for removal. A second resolution may be written
proposing that a study committee determine where the adult and continuing
education program should go.

In other business:

* Merola encouraged departments to establish a page on the World Wide Web.
Chemistry has such a page and he has received many requests for applications.

* A committee was named to monitor the Instructional Fee Scholarship program
and make recommendations for implementation in the spring. Ron Johnson will
chair. Other members are Robin Hohauser, Ed Bunce, and Don Mullins. Additional
members will likely be added to represent other colleges.

* There was no action on a resolution from former graduate-student
representative Ken Kahn that "the administration itemize each dollar that
graduate students pay for research hours."

Merola explained that Kahn was frustrated that he used his own computer
working at home and paid the same as a student who used a lab on campus.
Johnson said tuition is not a user's fee, and Bunce pointed out "part of what
the student gets is validation by the faculty member of the student's work."

Merola suggested the Degree Requirements Committee look at whether research
hours over the summer could be applied in a modified version over the year, and
what other universities do.

Eaton suggested that a continuous-enrollment policy "with teeth" requiring
tuition until a degree is granted would address the issue of inconsistent
policies across the campus regarding summer enrollment. That issue was also
referred to the Degree Requirements Committee.